Image-forming systems have been designed to receive input from several devices and to print the images by means of a single print engine. Nagashima (U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,706, issued Jan. 7, 1986) describes a copier system that receives data signals from a laser scanner, from a general purpose computer, and a facsimile, and that stores such data in a plurality of memories. The Nagashima system manages the release of the stored data from one or more of the memories to output means. The Nagashima system prints the "released" data, which may be a facsimile transmission image, a word processing document from the computer, a copy of an original document, etc. by means of a laser photocopy engine. Nagashima discloses a single tray or a single multiple-copy sorter for receiving the output paper, such as is common in a conventional photocopier.
Some photocopiers include an interrupt mode to interrupt a first, large photocopy job for a short convenience photocopy job. The first job's originals are typically stored in a holding bin away from the document viewing glass, while the interrupting job is processed, and then the first job is finished. Markham, et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,439) discloses a copy handling system having at least two parallel banks of copy-receiving equipment, each comprising a sorter and an exit pocket. At least four solenoid-controlled gates direct the first job copies and the interrupt job copies to the four or more possible exit locations, responding to the directions of a logic system monitoring job size and number of copies.
What is still needed is an economical, desktop, multi-purpose printer that features convenience copy collation during a current print job. What is needed is a desktop printer that may print jobs from a variety of input devices, such as a general-purpose personal computer, an add-on scanner/convenience copy device, or a fax, with the resulting copies being directed to separate output locations. A system is needed that allows interruption of a long print job to process a convenience copy job, without mixing the pages produced therefrom.